US report on water issues validates Pak concerns: FO

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan said on Thursday that the US Senate report on water issues in South Asia has substantiated Pakistan’s concerns at the building of dams by India on the western rivers in violation of the Indus Waters Treaty.

In response to a question about the US Senate report “Avoiding water wars in South and Central Asia” released on February 22, acknowledging that the dams that India is building in the Occupied Kashmir will limit supply of water to Pakistan at crucial moments, Foreign Office Spokesperson Tehmina Janjua said “the report only substantiates Pakistan’s concerns at the building of dams by India on the western rivers in violation of the Indus Waters Treaty”.

The report released by Senator John Kerry, Chairman of the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee, warns, “studies show that no single dam along the waters controlled by the Indus Waters Treaty will affect Pakistan’s access to water, (but) the cumulative effect of these projects could give India the ability to store enough water to limit the supply to Pakistan at crucial moments in the growing season”.

“Pakistan has conveyed its concerns to India through the Office of Permanent Indus Commission on various projects being built by India which the Pakistan Indus Commission considers are not in conformity with the terms of the treaty”, the spokesperson said, adding, “these concerns are required to be addressed in a sincere, forthwith and result-oriented manner.”